【英语语言学习】泄密者的行踪

The U.S. continues its cat and mouse game with the man who confessed to leaking NSA secrets, Edward Snowden. After spending the last few weeks in Hong Kong, Snowden caught a plane to Moscow this weekend, and he's believed to still be in Russia. But his exact whereabouts are uncertain. The U.S. has urged Russia not to let Snowden leave.

 

Today, officials from Ecuador said Snowden has applied¹ for asylum² there. It's the same nation that's been providing cover for WikiLeaks' founder³, Julian Assange, at its London embassy for more than a year.

 

So what makes Ecuador so appealing for these high-profile self-professed whistle-blowers? For more, we turn to South America correspondent for The Washington Post, Juan Forero. He joins us now from Bogota, Colombia. And, Juan, first of all, why Ecuador?

 

JUAN FORERO, BYLINE⁴: Well, I think it's because Ecuador has a leader, Rafael Correa, who is not shy about tussling with the United States and criticizing the United States. And, of course, a year ago, he gave Julian Assange, the leader of WikiLeaks, he gave him sanctuary⁵ in the embassy of Ecuador in London. And now, comes this. I don't think it was very surprising, actually.

 

CORNISH: So then, remind us a little bit more about President Correa, sort of what position he's tried to assume in Latin America.

 

FORERO: Well, President Correa is a leftist populist. He was educated in the United States. But he belongs to a line of leftist leaders in Latin America, which include leaders from Bolivia, from Venezuela, from Cuba and from Nicaragua, which tried to build a bulwark⁶ against the United States and frequently criticizing United States on all kinds of things.

 

Now, Correa was sort of in the shadows in the sense that for many years, the guy who really was leading all this was the bombastic⁷ leader of Venezuela, who was Hugo Chavez, but he died in March. And so now, people are wondering whether Rafael Correa in Ecuador is now picking up the mantle⁸ here.

 

CORNISH: So what does Ecuador stand to gain by granting Snowden asylum?

 

FORERO: I think part of it is that Ecuador in a sense wants to have a bigger role. I mean, it's a tiny country in South America. And really, you rarely hear about it. But here is a chance to say, you know, we are here. You know, we exist and we are a player, and we can deliver a blow to the United States. I think part of it is that.

 

Part of it is also that Ecuador has come under very sharp criticism from the United States, from press freedom groups, from the Organization of American States and so forth⁹ for its own restrictions¹⁰ against the press and against freedom of speech in its country. And so this is a way of saying: Hey, look, we actually protect freedom of speech and that's why we're protecting people like Julian Assange and, now, Edward Snowden.

 

CORNISH: Now, Ecuador's foreign minister said today that his country will base its decision about Snowden's asylum on principles and human rights, not on its interests with other countries, i.e. the U.S. But if Ecuador does grant Snowden asylum, what does it stand to lose as far as its relationship with the U.S.?

 

FORERO: It could be a big loss. Ecuador has a preferential trade agreement with the United States. It's very rare. It's the only South American country that has one of these. And what happens is Ecuador can export a range of different products to United States, tariff-free. And so it's almost like a free-trade agreement except it's a one-way trade agreement. Ecuador is the one that benefits. Now, that trade agreement is up for renewal¹¹ in July. We'll have to see what the U.S. Congress says.

 

CORNISH: And, Juan, you're speaking with us from Bogota, Colombia, but I understand you're headed soon to Ecuador. And do you get the sense that there is any popular support there for Edward Snowden or if people even know who Edward Snowden is?

 

FORERO: Well, I think that people there who I've been speaking to have said that, you know, part of this also is this is a way to solidify¹² support. Now, Correa is quite popular and the economy is doing well and so forth, but there are pockets of resistance to him. There are people out there who are critical. And when you go up against the United States, that kind of brings people together, you know? Here is a little country and on the other end is United States, the biggest superpower.

 

And so I think that will certainly be something that will get support for him, and not just from people who are already supportive of his government but people who maybe are on the fence or may be even critical and so forth.

 

It kind of also depends a little bit on how the United States reacts. For instance, if the United States does do away with those trade preferences, well, people will say: Look at how this big bully¹³ is going after our little country and our workers.

 

CORNISH: Juan Forero is South America correspondent for The Washington Post. Juan, thank you for talking with us.

 

FORERO: Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

1 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

2 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

6 bulwark   

n.堡垒，保障，防御

参考例句：

• That country is a bulwark of freedom.那个国家是自由的堡垒。
• Law and morality are the bulwark of society.法律和道德是社会的防御工具。

7 bombastic   

adj.夸夸其谈的，言过其实的

参考例句：

• The candidate spoke in a bombastic way of all that he would do if elected.候选人大肆吹嘘，一旦他当选将要如何如何。
• The orator spoke in a bombastic manner.这位演说家的讲话言过其实。

8 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

9 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

11 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

12 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

13 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。